The Sun of Winter
by Koshka Snow
Summary: Robb Stark knew this girl would cause him grief in the long run. He always knew. But he still loved her anyway. Game of Thrones AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Dearest readers! Hello! I've been dwelling on this for a while - mostly since the Red Wedding aired to be honest. Figured I'd share my story with you lovely people.**

 **This takes place in an AU, where Robb doesn't die at the Twins. An AU where there is no agreement with Walder Frey, and Ned Stark is still very much alive because he kept his damn mouth shut and nose out of people's business. There may be a few elements of the show/books in here but I haven't really decided which yet.**

 **For now, enjoy :)**

* * *

Robb sat on his bed, running his fingers over a gilded box she'd given him years ago. Oh, how he yearned to open it again and flood his mind with memories of a better time. It wasn't the most ornate box, made of simple wood with small pearls embedded around the perimeter, but no matter how many times he had tried to throw it away, something stopped him. The Young Wolf couldn't part with the box, though it was filled with many memories he would probably have been better off without having stowed away in a secret compartment beneath his bed.

It wasn't fair to himself, or his new wife for that matter, for him to keep it. _Out of sight, out of mind_ , Robb tried to tell himself, but his mind kept getting drawn to the damn thing. The last time he'd pulled the box out was the morning of his wedding day, picking through the little baubles and notes until he'd thoroughly upset himself. It took both of his younger brothers and a direwolf to rouse him from his catatonic state on the bed mere hours before he was to make the Arryn girl his wife. He couldn't help but wonder where she was now, what she was doing... or if she still even loved him at all.

Robb shook his head to clear his thoughts as he dug his nails into the soft wood of the box. He couldn't do this anymore - he was married. They would be expected to have children soon. How was he supposed to be Warden of the North - let alone a father - when he was still dwelling on what was and what could have been? Bran had told him he was being too harsh with himself and even Arya had gotten frustrated with him: _"You've grown soft, Robb. Fight me like a real man, and not some pansy pining over a girl."_ His younger siblings had seen him as their role model, and he'd let them down as well. But none of them had been there. Nobody heard the words she was screaming over the wind. Nobody had seen the look in her eyes and the expression on his face. They were alone in the Godswood and nobody heard but the old weirwood heart tree standing between them.

Only Sansa had given him good advice: _"Go after her."_ Robb wished every day that he'd followed the girl out of the Godswood and taken her back home with him. _"You love her, don't you? Go after her."_ Sansa's voice rang in his ears as his fingers _accidentally_ brushed against the tiny clasp holding the box shut. A familiar but fading scent of cedar and lavender rose from the box, filling his nostrils. Robb knew he could't possibly go through the box again, lest his wife walk into the bedroom.

But he was going to anyway.

With a deep sigh, he pulled out a worn, folded piece of paper with a note written long ago...

 _My dearest Wolf..._

* * *

Catelyn Stark had been shouting his name from the front of the castle for a couple minutes already, and Robb was nowhere near ready. "Little Lord, come now, your mother musn't be kept waiting." Old Nan had pulled out one of his finer cloaks and boots while he was getting dressed. Robb was only eight, but he felt the need to tell his mother that he didn't need Nan fussing over him at every moment.

"Nan, if you'd just let me do it myself we wouldn't be late," he moaned as she lifted the cloak over and around him, fastening it to his shoulder with a heavy iron pin emblazoned with the Stark sigil. Robb felt the weight of it on his collarbone and he pulled on his leather gloves, wincing as the warmth of the fur lined gloves met his freezing hands. He'd been playing with the snow on his windowsill all morning instead of getting dressed, so it wasn;t necessarily all Nan's fault that he was agitating his mother.

"Robb Stark, you will come down this instant, clothed or not!" Catelyn's shrill cry pierced his ears as he looked out the window to see if their guests had arrived yet. Everyone was lined up to receive the Stark family bannermen and he heard the call to open the gates. He pulled out of Nan's grasp, mussing his hair into place as he bolted down the winding staircases and out the main doors of the castle to take his place beside his father and mother. Ned looked down, his frown lightening into a smile as he saw his firstborn beaming at him. Next to Robb stood Jon, a surly, brooding child. It was no secret that Catelyn detested the boy and held a grudge against Ned for insisting that he live among their trueborn children at Winterfell. Standing directly behind them was Theon Greyjoy, Winterfell's ward of two years after his father's failed rebellion. He was quite a few years older than the eldest Stark child, but had taken a liking to them shortly after being brought to the Stark home.

Sansa and Arya were hiding behind Catelyn's skirts. Mere girls of five and two, Sansa was already taking on duties of an older sister by holding on to a squirming Aryas hand. "Hush, Arya, we need to be quiet," Sansa hissed through her teeth. She would grow up to be a proper young lady, Robb was sure of it. Bran was in his mother's arms, a year old and oddly small and quiet.

The carriage finally pulled in to the courtyard and Eddard went to go greet the large, hairy man who stepped out of it. "Lord Rickard Karstark, it has been a long time."

"Same to you, Stark!" Lord Rickard clapped Eddard on the shoulder, much less polite to him than Ned was. Robb smiled. He knew the Karstark's were famous for being a little rough around the edges. Lord Rickard made his way down the family line, being welcomed by all of them. He'd moved back to discuss with Ned, who waved the family away. "Go start the feast without us, we have some matters of importance." Catelyn gave him a look before herding the children into the main hall of the castle where the feast for the Karstarks was ready. Catelyn seated the children with a Septa, sent Jon Snow away, and went to the head table to await Ned. It was not often that Ned discussed personal matters in this way, and she couldn't help but wonder what headache he was going to bring her now.

Robb sat across from Sansa and Arya, wishing his mother would let Jon come to the family feasts. Theon sat beside him, but it wasn't the same. Theon was ironborn and there was a certain hardness to him that Robb didn't understand. They hungrily dug into their dinner and Robb noticed the main doors opening once more. Lord Rickard and his father walked in, and behind them, a silly looking little girl with wild black hair. Ned quietly sat her beside his daughters and took his seat beside a wide-eyed Catelyn.

They ate in complete silence amidst the raucous laughter of the other guests. Robb saw Catelyn trying to pry answers out of Ned but his father stared at his plate and ignored her. The girl pushed her hair out of her face and pulled her cloak off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor carelessly as she picked up a chicken leg.

When the dinner was finally done and the guests left, Robb finally turned to Catelyn and beckoned all the children forward. "You too, Taisha." Robb watched as the girl raised an eyebrow and quietly picked up her cloak and meandered over to the Starks. "This is Taisha Karstark. One of Lord Rickard's nieces. A more distant one, but a Karstark nonetheless." Robb didn't really care about family lineages, he was more concerned with why his father was being so cryptic about this girl. "She will be our ward for a while because they've got their own inner turmoil in Karhold and both her parents succumbed to sickness not too long ago."

Catelyn's face turned the color of Sansa's hair and her mouth narrowed into a tight-lipped frown. "What is this, Ned? Have we become an orphanage? Are we taking in every child from across the Seven Kingdoms now? First Jon, then Greyjoy, and now this girl?" Ned waved the children away, beckoning for the Septa to take them upstairs.

"She will sleep in the guest bedroom by Sansa and Robb's rooms. Cat, you know the Karstark's and us share blood. She is family to us and I will not deny Rickard in these trying times."

"But you couldn't have asked me first, Ned?"

Robb didn't hear the rest of the conversation as the Septa ushered them up to their bedchambers. Arya and Sansa kept their distance from Taisha, who was eyeing Robb curiously. The hair on the back of his neck pricked as he tried to ignore her staring.

"I remember you," she piped up, skipping up the steps to be on his level. "You're Robb. We used to play together."

"Well, I don't think I remember that." Robb kept looking ahead. She was making him uncomfortable with her piercing green stare and the smirk on her face. But Robb was lying. Of course he remembered the wild little Karstark girl, though she looked much more different than when they were four. She was tall for her age, all legs and a mess of tangled black hair. She was oddly pale and her eyes were not the typical Karstark blue, but an emerald green.

"I'm living with you now, so you'll have enough time to remember. After all, I still remember the birthmark you have right above your..." He turned to look at her, absolutely red in the face, and Taisha had the biggest grin on her face even as she stumbled on a step. "Now, where's my room?"

"Ask the Septa," Robb mumbled, opening the door to his bedchamber and disappearing into it. He collapsed onto his featherbed and covered his face with his hands. He didn't have to be so rude to her, he knew that. She knew she'd jog his memory but they were too old to be talking about the silly things they'd done when they were four. _"Taisha, I'll show you mine if you show me what's under your smallclothes."_

And she'd remembered his stupid birthmark in the crease of his thigh.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. The following chapters will all have a time jump. This is meant to be a story of them growing up together and the challenges they face at each point in their relationship. So this is them reuniting after a few years, and the next time will be when they are thirteen years old.**


	2. Chapter 2

Robb hadn't expected her to stay in Winterfell for so long, but five years had passed and Lord Karstark didn't make any move to summon Taisha back to Karhold. In that time even Catelyn had grown fond of her - only Jon was left in the shadows of her mind. Lady Stark thought that having another girl around would be great for the girls, but Taisha rarely spent time with them if at all. No, she was constantly in Robb's business, and if Robb got tired of her she went to Jon.

Taisha would wake up in the morning and knock on Robb's door. There was never an answer - why would there be - and she would barge in on the sleeping lordling and sit down on the featherbed. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead." She shook him and he jolted awake. This was no longer surprising to him, and he never particularly said anything about it either. He rolled over, trying to hide his head under the furs, but she pulled them off and stood up, balling the furs at the end of the bed.

"Taish," Robb mumbled as she sauntered over to the window and threw the shutters open. He groaned at the light and as his eyes adjusted, all he could see was Taisha standing at the foot of his bed in nothing but her night slip. The material was thin and sheer and growing tight around her budding chest and Robb realized a little too late that he'd been staring at her. "Taisha, it's so early..."

She grunted at him, crossing her arms over her chest and straining the slip even more. A Septa passed by the door she'd left open and hurried in, apologizing to Robb and grabbing Taisha by the arm. "You're far too old to be parading around here in your nightclothes. And by the look of it you've gained some weight too." The Karstark girl huffed at the Septa and allowed herself to be dragged away, winking at Robb as she left.

Jon Snow came in as Taisha left, and she sat on the edge of Robb's bed. "That Taisha really is something, isn't she," Jon muttered as Robb heaved himself out of his bed and went to change. What did he mean, _something_. "Not like your sisters, though Arya is getting more and more rambunctious every day. Are all Karstarks like that?"

"I haven't the slightest clue what you mean, Jon." Robb pulled his shirt over his head and laced it up after pulling on his clean breeches. Jon lay down with a thud on the bundle of furs she'd left behind him. The eldest Stark boy was already starting to feel something weird in the pit of his stomach, and it only happened whenever Jon talked to, talked about, or even looked at Taisha.

Jon propped himself up on his elbows. "You know, just the way she's not really... a conventional lady. She's rough around the edges and marches to her own drum." Robb's checks flushed slightly and he kept his face away from Jon as he pulled on his boots. "She came to me last night-"

The rest of Jon's sentence was drowned out as Robb whirled around and stomped over to him. "Did you do something that you're going to regret, Snow?" Jon fumbled for words - he had never seen Robb so defensive in his life.

"No, she just came and asked if I wanted to go show her the Godswood and that you were asleep and she didn't want to wake you." Robb's face slowly began turning to its original color as he puffed out his chest slightly - Jon had been her _second_ choice. "Are you... jealous, Robb?" The bastard smirked at him and Robb crossed his arms.

"Hardly. You know she's technically still highborn so I'm sure Lord Rickard would be very upset to find he can't give her to some other lesser lord when the Bastard of Winterfell has already taken her." Robb hated using the illegitimacy of Jon's birth against him, but it had slipped out. He knew Jon would never say anything about it, but Robb still felt bad. "...So, did you take her to the Godswood?"

Snow's expression shifted from sullen to even more sullen. "Jory caught us as we were trying to sneak out and made us go back to bed." _Good, now I can take her there_. And speak of the devil, a fully clothed Taisha had come back into his bedchambers. It took all of Robb's will to not throttle Jon when she lept onto the bed and landed on top of Snow. Jon gasped for air as she pressed herself harder against him. "Yeah, Jory caught us and told Lord Snow here that he'd see to it that uncle Eddard wouldn't hear about it if we went to bed _right this instant_." She did a hysterical impression of Jory Cassel at the end, laughing at her own joke.

Robb smiled but he wasn't laughing with her. He was starting to notice more about her as she rolled around on his bed. The way her dress clung around her hips and draped over her legs, the way her chest rose and fell as she breathed in and out, the ever present smirk on her face whenever she was talking to him. It was driving him insane, as was the heat rising in the pit of his stomach. Thankfully, Arya appeared in the doorway.

"Jon, you promised..." she mumbled, standing with her wooden toy sword. Jon laughed and stood up, following Arya out of the bedchamber with a quick goodbye to Robb and Taisha.

"Since Jory ruined your midnight escapades, do you want to go to the Godswood now to make up for it?" Robb asked hopefully. She raised an eyebrow at him from her upside down position. "It's the best in the early morning and just as the sun is going down." She lay there on his bed, watching the young Lord staring at her. Robb stood awkwardly in front of her hoping she'd answer him soon before his mother walked in - or worse, the Septa. Taisha stuck a fingernail in her mouth.

"Sure. Let's go."

In a flash, she was out the door, pulling her sealskin cloak around her shoulders. Robb ran after her, cursing the day he'd befriended the girl who preferred to run around the grounds of Winterfell. They reached the Godswood in record time, and as she grew tired, Robb began to sprint to surpass her. "Last one to the heart tree is-"

Robb coudn't finish his sentence because Taisha had taken a flying leap and landed on his back, effectively pinning him to the leaf covered ground. Robb rolled over, letting her straddle him, but wasn't prepared for her to pin his arms up above his head. He hadn't quite hit his growth spurt yet and she still had the height advantage over him, and frankly Robb was enjoying this. He struggled to get out from under her and she grinned maliciously down at him.

"Lord of Winterfell, felled by a woma-AH!"

She cried out as Robb wrenched a leg free and used it to knock her over, flipping her onto her back. They were a mess of wolf pelt and seal skin and hair and damp leaves but he didn't care. He ran his hands over her bare arms, locking onto her wrists and pinning them above her head. Taisha howled with laughter as Robb struggled to keep her down. Her hips bucked against his and Robb was met with the startling realization that they were both at the age when boys and girls started to... change.

He kept his grip on her wrists, pulling them down parallel to her head, and he leaned over, dangerously close to her face. Her thick lashes fluttered as she fell silent, their breath mingling between them. Robb didn't know what to do but stare into her eyes as their ragged breathing continued. As she closed her eyes in defeat, Robb - guided by some unknown force - leaned closer to her lips.

"M'lord? I heard shouting. Is everything okay?"

Robb shot up and Taisha took the opportunity to roll him back around and pick herself up. Robb stood up and dusted off his breeches as the infamous Jory Cassel came into view. "Everything's fine, Jory. We were just having some fun." Robb flushed as Jory looked from him to Taisha. Her hair was messy and full of leaf fragments, as was his, and their cloaks were covered in dirt. Jory shook his head.

"Lady Karstark, you're going to be the death of these boys one day." He took the rest of the guard back through the Godswood, leaving the two of them standing and staring sheepishly at the ground. Taisha looked up and Robb was already on his way out of the woods. She followed behind him, keeping her distance. He was going to kiss her. He would have if Jory didn't come running in. And why was this bothering her _so much?_

* * *

It was barely the afternoon and the eldest Stark son had holed himself up in his bedchamber. He didn't know where Taisha was, and he was horribly embarrassed to boot. Robb was glad she had kept out of his room since they got back but part of him wished she had come in with him. He heard her piercing laugh from outside. _"Jon, stop, that's disgusting!"_ she shrieked and he heard Arya and Sansa laughing along with her. He hardly realized that he'd fallen asleep until he woke up to the familiar sight of Taisha sitting on him with her legs on either side of his.

"You missed dinner," she said flatly. When he didn't respond she wiggled on top of him. "Are you avoiding me after what happened in the Godswood?"

"Nothing happened in the Godswood," he snapped, looking away from her. Taisha frowned at him.

"Oh, so you weren't going to kiss me?" Gods, she was outright with it. Robb looked back at her and his face grew red.

"No."

"If you wanted to all you had to do was ask." She leaned on her elbows on his chest. Robb sat up, bringing her into a sitting position with him. In one quick move he took her face between his hands and brought their lips together for a split moment before he broke them apart and slid out from under her. She was stunned, not moving as Robb shifted her off him and onto the bed. He turned towards the door, and stopped in the doorway before leaving.

"Is that what you wanted, Karstark? You got it."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much to my first reviewer. You know who you are, and I'm writing this chapter now just for you :)**

* * *

They never spoke about that kiss - never again - until Robb's ten and fifth name day. Their relationship had grown strained since then. Robb kept his distance from her and she tried her hardest to push herself back into his periphery. Taisha never meant for it to ruin their friendship - she just wondered if he wanted to kiss her. It was a harmless little wonder, at least she thought so much. She was more amazed at the fact that Robb had managed to spend two years avoiding her like the plague. His bedroom door was always locked and the only time he even tried to be cordial was at dinner with the family.

Catelyn had noticed this almost immediately and had mentioned it to Robb more than once. _"What has gotten into you two. You barely even spend time with each other anymore." "She should be playing with Sansa and Arya. I'm learning to be a proper lord and swordsman."_ Cat saw right through him but she did not press on. He would come around in his own time. Granted, nobody in the family knew anything except Robb and Taisha, so their immediate responses were "boys will be boys" and "they all get finicky around this age."

However, Taisha _was_ in fact spending more time with the girls - Arya especially. The little Stark had just turned nine and she was already taking on the personality of an independent thinker, and she preferred watching Stark and Snow sparring in the courtyard. "But what do you mean, he won't talk to you?" Arya asked, wide-eyed, "You two are best friends!" Taisha shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine, wolf cub." She took Arya by the hand and they walked from the main hall to the courtyard. Robb had taken a break and as soon as he saw Taisha walking over he turned away and started talking to the nearest person. Taisha frowned and sat Arya down on a barrel. "Hey, Snow," she called out, clenching her fists. Jon turned around, surprised slightly by her brazenness. He knew there was something deeper than the superficial snubbing Robb was doing to her, but she very rarely outwardly ignored Robb for him.

"Lady Taisha," Jon said, turning to her. "Lady Arya," he said, grinning as she giggled and kicked her feet.

"I'm no Lady, and neither is she," Arya protested.

"Teach me to shoot an arrow." Taisha looked up at Jon expectantly. He furrowed his brow and she pleaded with him until he finally gave in. Jon went to go pick up a bow and a few arrows from the training rack, giving Robb a curious look. The eldest Stark had lost his conversation partner and was simply staring off into the distance.

"We were sparring, Jon... or were you done?" Robb mumbled through gritted teeth. Jon shrugged and went back to Taisha, handing her the smooth wooden bow.

He watched her notch the arrow, guiding her hands into place. He stepped behind her as she pulled the string back and placed a hand on her shoulder, easing it down into the perfect position. Jon didn't know what was overcoming him - probably the strong woodsy smell of her hair pressed against his nose - but he pressed himself against her, molding his arms around hers to help her correct her stance and positioning. "And let it go," he muttered in her ear, and the arrow flew from her fingertips and hit a wooden beam not too far ahead of them.

"I did it!" she cheered and flung her arms around Jon, leaving the bow lying on the ground. Jon caught Robb's eye, and the young Lord stomped off towards his father at the main doors of the castle. "What in seven hells is his problem?" she mumbled and Jon grabbed her hand.

"I don't know. Do you want me to talk to him for you?" She ripped her hand out of his, offended.

"I can talk to him myself, but he won't answer. I don't need anyone playing carrier raven because he's too stupid to just get over himself." It was harsher than Taisha had wanted it to come out, but Jon looked like a wounded dog. He shook his head at Taisha and also went to join his father, who had brought the horses out and had Bran perched on top of one. They rode off, leaving Taisha and Arya in the courtyard alone.

* * *

Robb didn't want to see Jon. He didn't want to look at Jon. Thankfully, Greyjoy had covered the space between him and Snow and they all rode behind Ned Stark to where he was to behead the latest deserter. Robb couldn't concentrate on the whole ordeal, looking blankly in the direction of his father as the Warden of the North swung his sword, Ice, down swiftly to take off the man's head. Jon and Bran sat on their horses not too far behind him, and Theon nudged his horse towards Robbs.

"What happened with you two?" Theon asked in a hushed tone as they watched Ned sheath his sword and mount his horse.

"What are you talking about?" Robb replied. Theon rolled his eyes.

"You and Snow. You're always so chatty and now he's sitting there minding Bran. What's happened?" Robb remained silent. "This isn't about that Karstark bitch, is it? You always get into a mood when she's anywhere near Sno-OH!" As Theon was finishing his sentence, Robb swung at him from on top of his horse.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that, Greyjoy. She's done nothing to you."

"Ah, so it is about her." Theon grinned smugly and Robb scoffed, digging his heels into his horse's sides and cantering forward. Jon furrowed his brow before pulling his horse out of their group and following on behind him.

"Why are you following me?" Robb hissed as Jon's horse stopped next to his.

"Because I want to know why you've been giving me nasty looks since we left Winterfell. And why you've been ignoring Taisha." The words were out before Jon could stop himself, but he drew a breath and waited for Robb to answer. The two of them slowed down their horses and Robb looked over at Jon, trying to mask the jealousy in his eyes.

"I kissed her."

Jon's jaw dropped and he stared at Robb for a few seconds before bursting into a fit of giggles. Robbs face flushed red and he grimaced at Jon. "What? What's so funny?"

"Pardon me for saying so, but after you kiss a girl you've been pining over for years, you probably shouldn't be avoiding her."

"You have some nerve, Snow!" Robb said, stifling his own laughter. He could never be mad at Jon for long - Jon never meant to hurt him, ever. "I just didn't know what to do after. I've never had to deal with any of this before!" Robb and Jon rode forward, and Robb lamented to him. Sure, it had been about two years since it happened, but Robb had been entirely unsure of the whole situation. He had tried to forget it - forget her - but it was hard when every waking moment she was peeking around a corner and trying to corner him. He wasn't ready for this, so his only choice was to ignore her until she wanted to drop the subject as well. As Robb was talking to Jon, he felt his horse balk and stumble beneath him. Robb looked up and saw a mass of fur lying in a puddle of blood. He turned to Jon, who rode back up the hill to flag down his father.

Dismounting his horse, Robb went to examine the dead beast. _A direwolf!_ There hadn't been a direwolf this side of the wall in ages. His eyes fixed on wriggling bundles of fur and he reached out to pick one up. She had whelped at some point - before or even after death - and the poor thing was crying out in his arms. Jory, Jon, and Ned appeared over the hill with Bran, Theon, and the rest of their party.

"A freak..." Robb heard Greyjoy say as everyone dismounted to come marvel at the giant wolf. Bran gave a cry of delight and went to take the little pup from Robb's hands. The older men mumbled about omens and bad signs while Bran cuddled the pup, and Theon drew his sword. "The sooner the better," he said as Bran cried out.

"It's _MINE_!"

Robb held up his hand to block Theon's sword. "We will keep these pups. Ser Rodrik's bitch whelped again last week. She'll have milk enough."

Jon piped up. "There are five pups. Three male, two female. You have five true born children. The direwolf is the sigil of your house. Your children were meant to have these pups." Ned nodded and after some deliberation, he commanded Jory and Desmond to pick up the remaining pups and take them home. As they all remounted their horses, Jon looked back at the dead direwolf. He dismounted again and ran back, crouching by the beast and returning shortly to their party. He was holding a sixth pup, a white one. _This one would obviously be Jon's_ , Robb thought. _Fur as white as snow, different from his family..._

* * *

They'd ridden home quietly and presented their sisters and Rickon with their wolf pups. Taisha stood nearby, sulking, as Robb made eye contact with her and looked away again, heading towards the kennels with his new pup. She followed Sansa and Arya back upstairs, watching as the girls cradled their wolves and decided on names. They barely noticed her slip back into her room. _And the only wolf I get is a brooding one who won't even look at me anymore,_ she thought to herself, falling backwards onto her bed. Her door creaked open and Taisha closed her eyes. "I'm okay for now, I'll take my bath later," she said, assuming her handmaiden had walked in.

"I've got something for you."

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of the male voice, and she sat up. "Robb?" He was standing in her doorway holding another bundle of fur close to his chest.

"Everyone got a direwolf... and it just wouldn't be right if you were left out." He motioned towards her bed and she nodded, sliding over for him to sit down. He handed her the creature and she held it in her lap. The puppy - one of Ser Rodrik's - squirmed in her grip. It was barely two weeks old but Robb insisted that she take it from it's mother now. "Let's raise them together, teach this little mutt to be as fierce as a direwolf." She smiled at him, laying the pup on her bed and grabbing Robb's hand.

"Are we alright?" Robb smiled at her.

"Of course we are. I'm sorry I've been such an ass."

Taisha reached up with her free hand to cup his face, bringing her lips against his cheek. Robb blushed but he pulled his face free and hugged her. He missed her warmth and the way she hugged him as if it would hatch a thousand dragons if she didn't let go. He rubbed her back and she looked up at him. "Come on, let's go feed our new friends."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you, lovely reviewers. I have been away, but I am back now until the end of this week and will try to crank out another chapter tomorrow :) You keep me going.**

As the years passed, it was increasingly difficult to go anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms without some kind of conflict arising. Jon Arryn had died - or as Ned suspected, been murdered - as well as the King, Robert Baratheon. Ned had been increasingly suspicious of the Lannister family, but Catelyn had urged him to remain at Winterfell and protect the North while rallying his bannermen in case anything was to happen. For the first time in a very long time, Ned had listened to his wife instead of his instinct for justice. He had given up the post of Hand of the King when the young Baratheon prince Joffrey took the throne and retired to his home. As the Stark family remained cooped up in Winterfell, Jon had parted ways and headed for the Wall. It was the only way he felt he would be seen as somebody other than Ned Stark's Bastard.

The Stark children seemed to take Jon's departure fairly well, save for Robb. Jon was his best friend and brother, and Robb felt a great void in Winterfell when the gates closed behind Jon and Ghost. Taisha, on the other hand, was devastated. She, Robb, and Jon were the same age and there was a connection between the three of them that she couldn't explain. They did almost everything together, including training their pets. Granted, Taisha's dog was nowhere near the size of the direwolves, but the leggy beast was just as ferocious. Robb was almost jealous of how quickly the mutt ran to Taisha's side at the slightest call with teeth bared and hackles raised. Grey Wind and Ghost were fiercely loyal and brave, but the mutt seemed to be compensating for his size.

While Robb was maintaining his composure after Jon left, Taisha was curled up in her bed wailing for everyone to hear. Taisha knew Jon had a bit of a thing for her, and she milked it for all it was worth, but it wasn't his attention that she missed. Sometimes, Jon was the only voice of reason when she and Robb were getting into it over something minor and not really worth the aggravation. Now there would be no buffer between her and Robb, whose personality clashed so hard with her own that Catelyn likened them to an anvil and a hammer. Jon steadied the two of them, helping Robb blow off steam and convincing Taisha that she shouldn't try and shoot an arrow and see how close she could get it to Robb's feet.

She lay amongst the furs on her bed and called for her dog, Magpie. The hound quietly padded into the room from its station in her doorway, revealing Robb, who was deathly afraid of crossing into the room before the dog was properly called off. "Were you standing there long? I'm afraid Magpie doesn't announce guests."

"He just scares them all away," Robb laughed, sitting down on the bed beside her. A low growl came from the foot of the bed when he reached out to rub her arm, and Taisha kicked her foot in the dog's direction.

"Mags, don't be a brat." She sighed deeply before turning onto her side to face Robb. He stroked her bare arm slowly with the tips of his fingers as she raised her tear streaked face to look at him. "Am I stupid for getting upset over this?" Robb smiled down at her.

"At least you can show your feelings. Everyone would laugh at me if I cried over him leaving." She smiled slightly and sat up, curling into Robb's side. It was nice feeling Robb against her. Since they were children, their physical relationship had been strained after he'd kissed her in his bedroom. Affection was so hard to pull out of the eldest Stark son, and that was what drew Taisha to him. Jon would have moved heaven and earth to give her anything she wanted, and that did not appeal to her in the slightest. Robb was so difficult to read that she had to work to get the smallest thing from him, and when she finally got what she was after, it felt thousands of times greater.

"I suppose it doesn't make sense to dwell on this while we still have each other, right?" she asked and Robb grinned, planting a kiss on her forehead. Taisha tilted her head back in confusion and she didn't know how it happened entirely but Robb's lips had somehow found their way to hers. It was rough and hard and she had no time to register what had happened before Magpie had flown into a frenzy and Robb was already out the door.

* * *

The following year without Jon felt empty, especially to Taisha who no longer had a friend to confide in. She couldn't talk to Sansa or Arya about her feelings - the girls were always surrounded by Septas or chatty, gossiping girls. Besides, how could she even begin to explain her feelings for Robb Stark? Once again, he'd kissed her and left her dazed and confused and alone. It drove her wild that he would dare to do that a second time, when the first time they ended up not speaking for a long while. But she couldn't help but love how out of the blue it was, and that he hadn't even been prompted by her this time. She would pass him in the hallways and he would give her the most devilishly handsome smirk that made her stomach turn and she was startled by the tingling that would occasionally find its way between her legs.

His ten-and-eighth name day was coming up and all of Winterfell was preparing for the massive feast. Ned had decided it was time for the Young Wolf to step up and be named Warden of the North and there would be a big celebration that even King Joffrey and his wife, Queen Margaery, were invited to. Sansa was, of course, devastated initially when Joffrey had married, but Ned had insisted that she remain in Winterfell and wait for a different marriage match.

"I heard he's a bit of a shit," Arya piped up while Sansa was braiding Taisha's hair.

"Don't talk like that about the King, whether he is or not," Sansa snapped, sounding as if she needed to convince herself that Joffrey was, in fact, _not_ a shit.

"But everyone says he's a coward and a vicious little boy," Arya persisted and Sansa tried not to pull Taisha's hair harder than she already was.

"Arya, I'd like to show up to Robb's name day feast with my hair intact," Taisha said, wincing as Sansa apologized hurriedly and rushed to finish the intricate braids.

"Okay then, so what's going on with you and our brother?" The Karstark girl raised her eyebrows at Arya's bold question and as Sansa tied off the end of the braid, she swung around, bringing her thick black hair around with her.

"What do you mean, Arya?" she asked, eyebrows still creeping up her forehead.

"Well, first of all, you two are always staring at each other. If he's not looking at you, you're gawking at him." Arya held up her fingers as she started listing off more things. "Second of all, you get all flustered any time he even comes near you, and don't think I haven't." Sansa started to laugh as she pulled Taisha back so she could line her eyes with dark powder. "THIRD of all," Arya continued, "you _NEVER_ want your hair done, and here we are getting ready for _Robb's_ name day."

Arya wasn't wrong. Taisha loved having her hair the way it was after she did nothing but brush it. The loose black waves hung around her face and danced in the wind and she absolutely never wanted any kind of powders or anything on her face. She had to admit, she wanted to look nice for once so Catelyn would not object when Ned invited her to sit with the family, but she also wanted to look nice for Robb. It couldn't hurt to dress up once in a while, on the off chance that he would like it. Sansa had pulled out a dress from the closet, jaw dropping at the sight of it.

"Mother told me she had dresses made for us in the Reach but yours blows ours entirely out of the water."

Taisha hadn't even seen the dress before and came closer to inspect it. The bodice was a solid black with silver trim, leading into pearly white skirts made of a light fabric. It was obviously not a dress for the winters to come, but she had fallen in love with it and deemed it perfect for tonight. Arya and Sansa helped to lift the dress over her head and laced her in, realizing then that the bodice had very little back to it, and everything cinched at the waist. There were new boots made for her as well, but she decided to wear her old ones for comfort's sake.

"I'll freeze to death, but at least I'll look stunning," she murmured as Arya handed her a gossamer shawl that was to be worn with it. "Maybe I'll take my cloak down to the hall just in case..."

"It won't match, your cloak is not the right shade of grey to look right." Sansa bit her lip in contemplation. "Go like this, if anything you can send a handmaiden up to get the cloak for you.

"Or maybe Robb will lend you his," Arya added with a snort and Taisha shooed them both out of the room.

On the table was a small box made of deep brown wood with golden designs etched into it. Taisha looked over it one more time, lifting the lid to inspect the inside. She had to admit, for a last minute request, the carpenter in Winterfell had done a spectacular job. She reached into a drawer where she had one of Grey Wind's baby teeth - still huge for a wolf - fashioned into a necklace and dropped it into the box. She would find time to fill it with more trinkets, but that would have to come with time. She wanted to give him the box and tooth to start with, and build the contents as time went on.

* * *

It was getting stuffy in the hall and Robb already wanted to leave. Though the festivities were in his honor, it was making him feel uncomfortable. Between King Joffrey and Lord Karstark, the hall was getting tense and both Grey Wind and Magpie were sitting under the main table with the fur on their backs standing up. Nymeria and Lady were off on the side, whereas Summer and Shaggy Dog had taken their place by their young masters' feet. Joffrey had come in brandishing his crossbow, though he had been reprimanded by Ser Jaime multiple times to leave it at his feet or in the carriage. Lord Karstark, on the other hand, came in quietly and stared daggers at Robb whenever he caught his eye.

"Ned, Taisha won't even acknowledge my presence," Rickard had said, and Eddard shrugged.

"She's grown up here. She probably doesn't recognize you." Ned called Taisha's name and she looked up, walking over from where she was sitting with the girls.

"Uncle Rickard! You're here as well? I didn't know you were coming!" she said, curtsying as properly as she could when her uncle stood up to greet her. Much to her surprise, Rickard had ushered her away from the crowd to a corner. "Is everything alright? What's going on?"

"Taisha, I've come to bring you back to Karhold."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello lovelies! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter hehee. Thanks for sticking around with my sporadic schedule. I swear, you guys are the best.**

The only thing preventing Taisha from shrieking was that she knew Robb and Ned would come over. She wanted to settle this matter privately with her uncle without interrupting Robb's festivities and ruining the entire night for everybody. She dug her nails into her palms as she clenched her fists, face burning red with fury as Rickard's steely gaze bored into her. For once in her life Taisha had wished that her dog would react and chase her uncle away. Instead, the mongrel was laying under the main table with Grey Wind, entirely useless.

"And who are you to take me anywhere?" she hissed through her teeth, steadying herself against the wall.

"Your uncle. Your closest family. I trust you remember your name is _Kar_ stark." He wasn't wrong – he was the closest blood relative she had left, and the head of the House. "It's time for you to marry and there are alliances to be forged," he said, reaching over and grabbing her around the wrist.

At that moment, Taisha's rage erupted and she ripped her arm out of Rickard's grasp. "Absolutely not. You give me away and expect me to come quietly because I'm suddenly of use to you?" she said shrilly. She hadn't noticed Ned coming up to the from the side and nearly jumped out of her skin when he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Taisha, Rickard, is everything alright?"

"This insolent child is not understanding her place in the world and in House Karstark. I had hoped you would instill a sense of loyalty and manners in her over these last years, Eddard." Ned, confused, looked to his ward for an explanation.

"He wants to take me away, please don't let him, I've been good, haven't I?" Taisha wailed, looking up at Ned with big bleary eyes.

"There's a lord in the Stormlands we could use as an ally, and Taisha is the only girl we can offer him," Rickard huffed. Ned stood still for a while, watching Taisha stewing with both anger and sadness whereas Rickard was standing his ground. Taisha grabbed Ned suddenly by the fur cloak around his shoulders and tugged on it. She had no more words to say, just a feeble squeak when she sighed heavily. Ned could not let this ruin his friendship with House Karstark but he also felt obligated to help the girl that had been running around Winterfell for the better part of her life.

"Rickard, she's been here for the longer part of her life. Maybe it would be easier to arrange a match for her in our House's name."

"Careful, Ned, she's my blood. I have more right to her than you ever will."

"She's a ward of Winterfell until I or the new Warden of the North say otherwise," Ned snapped, holding the happily sobbing girl to his chest. Rickard was visibly displeased, and he had nothing more to say to Eddard or Taisha. He turned on his heel and stomped back to where he and his entourage were sitting. "Taisha, are you alright?"

She nodded furiously, wiping her eyes and thanking the Gods that she hadn't smeared her make up all over her face. "Thank you, Lord Eddard. You don't know what this means to me," she grinned, giving him a big hug.

"It would be a horrible name-day for Robb if I let Rickard take you, wouldn't it." She looked up questioningly and Ned was looking down at her with a knowing smile. She wrenched out of his hug and practically skipped back to her table, grinning from ear to ear. Was that Ned's blessing? She couldn't help but wonder how Robb's father felt – if he even knew the extent to which their relationship went. But she didn't want to think about marriage now - she just wanted to enjoy herself. Taisha heard the music pick up and she had barely sat down when she caught Robb's eye and weaved her way through the tables to him. She took his arm and dragged Robb to where everyone was dancing. He looked back to his mother and she tugged on him harder.

"Don't look back, just come dance with me," she shouted over the music. Taisha didn't know when Robb had learned to dance, but he grabbed her around the waist and spun around with her. She wanted to lead, she wanted to be all over the floor with him, but something inside told her to let go of her inhibitions and let him take over. They barely noticed anyone else, completely engrossed in each other as Robb tightened his grip around her waist, sure that if he let his hand roam to her bare back he would lose his mind entirely. Robb felt perfectly content just holding her – this wasn't the rambunctious little girl who had teased him all through their childhood. This wasn't the same dirty child with rats in her hair and muddy feet who preferred to play rough with him and Jon. This wasn't the Taisha he met, she was the Taisha he had grown with and something stirred deep inside of him.

She had silently hoped he'd kiss her in front of everyone – Robb seemed to be a fan of the abrupt displays of affection that lasted only moments – but she didn't want to cause a bigger scene than had already happened earlier with her uncle. He kept staring at her and Taisha felt a burning heat rising from the pit of her stomach and filling her body. Taking a quick look around, she noticed that the dance floor was clearing, and she whirled around, tugging on Robb's hand so he would follow her. She had no plan of action, but Taisha knew she needed to get out of the great hall. She heard Magpie's shrill bark and turned around to call her dog down, but Arya and Lady had beaten her to the punch, pinning the dog down and decorating him with ribbons. Taisha knew Magpie wouldn't dare bite any of the younger children, so she secured her grip on Robb's hand and pulled him down a hallway and out of everyone's sight.

"Taish, where are we going?" He knew the question was unnecessary, he knew exactly which twists and turns she was taking because they walked through them every night to get back to their bedchambers. Before they reached the door at the end of the spiraling staircase she stopped and pressed her back against the wall. "They're going to realize we're gone... It's my feast after all." She wanted to give him his birthday present. She forgot to bring the stupid box with her earlier, but she wanted the moment to be special. However, nothing could be so simple with them. Her mind was racing, clouded with questions and confusion as Robb leaned against the opposite wall, eyeing her intently.

"What is your problem, Robb?" she snapped suddenly, slapping her hands against the brick behind her. "You kiss me constantly but I can't tell how you feel. Or are you just playing with me until you get betrothed to some higher born lady?" The words tumbled out of her mouth and Robb began to laugh as he stepped towards her. Fuming, Taisha thrust her hands out to push him away and he wrapped his fingers around her wrists, sandwiching her between his body and the wall. "I never know what you're thinking and you're always so stoic and broody and-"

"Oh, shut up," Robb cut her off and crushed his lips against hers, pinning her arms up level with her head against the cold brick. Caught off guard, Taisha struggled against him but found herself giving in and kissing him back with equal vigor. He released her hands and they found themselves immediately tangled in his auburn curls. His hands slid down to her hips, pulling her almost hesitantly into the curve he made over her. Her teeth grazed his bottom lip and he dug his nails into the fabric of her skirts.

The kissing continued, her hands leaving his hair and sliding down along his upper arms. His muscles tightened under her grip and she squeezed them tighter. Robb's mouth was hot against hers, sucking, licking, and biting on her lips which left her quivering in his arms. He moved one hand up to her bare back, running his nails along her delicate skin. Taisha wasn't sure how much more of this torment she could endure, when Robb let go of her hip, hiked up her skirts, and grabbed her leg, wrapping it around him and grinding his pelvis against hers. The tops of her inner thighs felt slicker than she ever thought they could be and she broke the kiss, leaning back and moaning softly.

Robb took that opportunity to move his lips down her jaw, her neck, her collarbones and Taisha felt the agonizing spike of arousal as his tongue dragged across her skin. His wet kisses made her squirm and press harder against him and Robb let out a low growl from the back of his throat. Robb remained buried against her neck, peppering her with softer kisses than before. Her legs were quaking and Robb tightened his grip on the thigh he had wrapped around him. She used her leg to pull him even closer, feeling the erection in his breeches pulsing against her core. Taisha took Robb's face in her hands, bringing him level with her. Pressing her lips to his again, she parted them, letting him slip his tongue into her mouth. Robb moaned into her, ignoring their clumsy mistakes like teeth clashing against each other. He pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Taish..." he panted, their heavy breathing mingling between them. She couldn't speak yet, but her cheeks flushed when she realized how she much look completely wanton and ready, skirts out of place and hair disheveled and unable to stand properly without clinging to the wall.

Suddenly, they heard dogs barking down the staircase and Taisha released Robb from her grip, pushing him back against the opposite wall. She fixed her skirts and opened the door, slipping through it and running off into her bedchamber, leaving Robb stunned in the staircase. Arya and Sansa turned the corner, followed by Lady, Nymeria, Grey Wind, and Magpie.

"Where's Taisha? Her dog's been pacing in front of the staircase we were worried hed make a trench in the floor." Arya laughed as Nymeria came up and bumped her head against her hand. Robb was still unable to speak properly and motioned towards the door. "Did she go to bed already? It's not even that late," Arya said indignantly. Taisha routinely spent her nights with Arya in Sansa's bedchamber and Arya was slightly disappointed. Robb shrugged and followed his sisters through the door. Grey Wind followed him to his bedchamber and Magpie started scratching at Taisha's door. She opened it wide enough for the dog to go through, avoiding Robb's stare.

Now it was his turn to be confused - she had just been complaining that he was hard to read, and now she was ignoring him. Robb couldn't ignore the strain in his breeches, which he had tried to hide underneath his shirt. He undressed and collapsed into his bed, waiting for Grey Wind to settle in before blowing out the candle in his room.

* * *

Taisha had fallen asleep rather easily, considering the aching between her legs and the ache in her heart and the longing that was emerging from deep inside of her. She hadn't even stirred when the door opened, and when her dog looked up from where he was sleeping in a corner, he lay back down and began to snore. Robb quietly closed the door behind him and slipped into the bed, wrapping his arm around the sleeping girl. He was delighted when she pressed her back into him in her sleep, and he dropped his head to the crook of her neck and began to kiss her.

"Robb?" she said sleepily, turning around to face him.

"Hi," he smiled, planting a kiss on her lips. Taisha was surely awake then, though she wasn't sure whether this was a dream or not. Robb was in her bed. _Robb was in her bed._ Taisha sighed contentedly and curled up against the Young Wolf. They absolutely had unfinished business to attend to, but the two of them seemed perfectly fine entangled with each other. "Why did you run off earlier?" he asked, murmuring against her mouth. Taisha lay quietly before she piped up, "What, are you the only one allowed to leave someone high and dry like that?" He smirked, holding her tighter.

"Where were we..." he muttered, rolling over so he was above her. Taisha felt the familiar pull in her stomach as her groin flooded with heat when Robb tugged off his clothes and discarded them along with her nightdress and smallclothes. His mouth was still as wet and still as hot as it was earlier as he now took in her whole body beneath his lips. His beard tickled her belly as he planted a trail of kisses from the hollow of her throat, along her breasts, and down to the apex of her thighs. Unable to restrain herself, Taisha grabbed Robb and pulled him back up, kissing him fiercely as she felt him grow harder and harder against her. Now, Taisha wasn't sure whether Robb knew much about lovemaking besides what he had learned from chatty Septas and scullery maids. Not that she was much more educated on the matter, but all she had heard was that it was going to hurt.

Robb positioned himself at her entrance and eased himself in slowly, stopping when he noticed her wincing. "No, keep going," she groaned, digging her nails into his back. Sheathing himself completely, Robb began rocking his hips against hers. "So wet... so warm... so tight..." he moaned against her neck, trying to control his thrusting as he didn't want to hurt her. Taisha's mind was blank as she held Robb closer. She was feeling things that she had never felt before, and as Robb's thrusts became faster and more erratic she felt her climax rising. It came crashing over her like a wave and she convulsed beneath him, which caused Robb to release as well.

The two of them lay there, Robb still on top of her, covered in a sheen of sweat. He rolled over onto his side, causing her to shiver as he pulled himself out from between her legs. Taisha lazily brushed her hand through his hair, still coming down from her high. Robb's breathing slowed back to a normal pace and he propper himself up on his elbow to kiss her - rather chastely compared to earlier. Taisha would have none of that, and she knotted her fingers in his hair, deepening the kiss.

"I love you," she blurted out against his lips. Robb responded without hesitation.

"Marry me."


	6. Chapter 6

Taisha pulled back from Robb, letting go of his hair and drawing away to the other end of the bed. His question had come out of nowhere, abruptly, and she wasn't sure how to respond. He was still smiling at her, resting his head on the pillows stacked underneath him. Robb's fingers dragged up and down her bare arms and Taisha shuddered when he placed his warm hand on her hip. What was she supposed to say to him? She loved him dearly but with the topic of marriage infuriating her mere hours ago, Taisha wasn't ready to throw herself back into it.

She couldn't help but feel guilty as she looked at the handsome Lord laying amongst her furs, chest glistening with a sheen of sweat, half-lidded eyes fixed on her face. She let him fuck - no, make love - to her, and she knew her honor was soiled from that moment on, but it was worth every second. _Maybe I could marry him one day,_ she thought, grasping his wandering hand in hers. "Robb..."

"Marry me," he interjected, repeating his question.

"Robb, I love you, I really do," she began.

"But what?"

"Maybe ask me when your mind isn't clouded with the aftermath of sex," she said, kissing his knuckles gently. "Ask me with a clear head."

Robb opened his mouth to protest and Taisha swiftly overtook his lips with her own, pulling him close and raking her nails down his shoulder blade.

"I'm going to keep asking you until you give me straight answer, you know that, right Karstark?" He smiled against her lips.

"Ask me on the next moon."

"I'd wait for you forever."

Taisha felt a smile tug at her lips and she pushed him off of her, getting up off of the bed and quietly stepping over to her dresser. Robb's name day present had been completely forgotten during their eventful night. She picked up the box and walked back to the bed, sitting on the edge and running her finger along the gold designs on the lid. Robb sat up behind her, propping his head up on her shoulder. "I got this made for you. I know it's not much, but I figured we could fill it with things. There's already something in there." She held the box loosely in her hands and Robb took it from her, opening the lid and pulling out the tooth necklace she made. "I know it seems a little silly but I found it in my room and thought you'd like it."

Robb's face lit up as he pulled the necklace on over his head. The tooth hung below his clavicle and bounced against his chest as he moved to hug Taisha and planted a kiss on the side of her face. "Like it? I love it." She grinned and leaned back against him, yawning loudly. "Taish, I need to go back to my own bedchamber."

"But I was just getting so comfortable..." she whined from her position curled up against the young Lord. He rolled her onto her side and buried her in the furs on her bed. Kissing her goodnight, Robb pulled on his clothes and snuck out of the room. Almost as if on cue, Magpie leapt onto her bed and lay down beside her, immediately beginning to snore.

* * *

Robb came to Taisha nightly and they enveloped each other in the darkness, falling further and further in love with each other. True to his word, Robb asked her every night to marry him and she deflected it again and again. It was starting to grow more and more difficult hiding the manner of their relationship from the Stark children, but more importantly, Catelyn. The woman who had shown her disdain towards the ward of Winterfell early on had warmed up to her, sure, but Taisha was sure as the seven hells that Lady Stark would have a conniption if she found out what her pride and joy had been up to nightly.

They had to make do with kisses stolen behind pillars and subtle touches in the halls away from prying eyes. However, Taisha could not hide anything from the Stark girls. Each morning, after Robb had slipped back to his bedchambers, the girls would rush into her room and jump onto the bed. They had sworn to keep what little they knew a secret from everybody - who would they tell? Rickon? Even Magpie had kept up his vicious demeanor whenever Robb was nearby, as if he himself didn't want to admit that he had grown soft towards Robb. The mutt had begun to leave Taisha alone whenever she was with Robb - his fiercely protective nature was subdued by his trust for Robb to care for his master.

Today, however, was not a day that Robb was around. He had gone out on a hunting expedition with Grey Wind and some of the men of Winterfell and left Taisha with his younger siblings. She loved spending time with the two Stark girls, but Taisha was torn between going for a walk with them through the grounds or preparing a surprise for Robb in his bedchamber. No doubt he would be tired after a long day of hunting and could use help unwinding…

After spending her whole day shared between swordfighting with Arya and learning how to braid hair with Sansa, Taisha snuck away for some time to herself. She sat down on a bench not too far from where the girls were sitting with their wolves. Magpie sat at her side, glowering at everyone who walked by. Taisha scratched him behind the ears and said, "It's a wonder anyone even talks to me here with you around. Go play with Lady and Nymeria or something. Go on." She pushed him away, and almost as if he understood, Magpie lumbered off, looking back at her every so often.

She loved the mongrel but it was damn near impossible to do anything without him practically attached to her hip. Looking back, Taisha knew it was because she'd taken the animal from its mother very early on, but she regretted none of it. She got up and turned the corner, following the path around the side of the main castle. She loved to find new ways to disappear into the Godswood, and was certain this path would lead her there. She and Robb had learned to coordinate their escapes into the wood to not be spotted together. Speaking of Robb, he should have been home by now…

As she wandered down the path she was creating before her, the brush began to get denser and her skirts were getting caught with every step she took. _This may have been a mistake,_ she said, feeling around in her boot and coming up without her usual dagger. The sun was setting and filtering through the leaves of the godswood. She heard a crunch behind her and whipped around, coming face to chest with…

"Theon!" she gasped. "You almost frightened me." The oldest ward of Winterfell towered over her as she tried to step back but got tangled in the bushes behind her. At twenty and two – or was it three? Taisha couldn't remember anymore – Theon had grown into his cold, Ironborn demeanor and was almost a little intimidating to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Karstark." Theon had always been blunt and rude, especially to her, but something seemed off today. "You shouldn't be walking around the grounds alone – especially since your beloved _Robb_ isn't here to protect you." She shuddered and tried to puff out her chest to seem taller but she was a dwarf compared to him.

"I don't need Robb to protect me, thank you very much," she snapped, almost regretting it the second she said it. Theon grinned evilly and took a step towards her.

"Robb. Robb and I used to be like brothers, you know?" he started, pausing to look up at the sky. "And then _you_ came along." Theon had come up right into Taisha's face and she held her ground, wincing as his hot breath danced across her face. Theon smelled like the drink, and heavily so. "Why is he so obsessed with you? He hasn't been the same since you _graced us_ with your presence here."

Taisha rolled her eyes. "Maybe I'm just easier to be around than you, hulking and glaring at everyone all the time. It gets old, Theon." She knew that since even before Jon left things had become tense between the three eldest boys. A few years ago, Taisha and Robb's budding feelings had strained things for Jon, who was being pulled in either way while the two avoided each other. And Theon – oh, Theon – had been shunted to the side. He was not much older than the three, but considerably so, that there had been a disconnect after Theon had turned ten and eight.

"What does he even see in you?" Theon said, raising his voice. "You're just about as Highborn as a Frey. Noble House, my arse. Your people are on par with the wildlings from what I've seen." Taisha drew her arm back to slap him across the face but Theon was too quick and caught her by the wrist. "You think he'll use you for anything more than a quick fuck?" he spat at her. "The second they find him a wife from a higher house, Ned and Catelyn will cut this little game you two are playing right out."

Taisha struggled, trying not to break her wrist while attempting to free herself from his grip. Her eyes welled with tears – that wasn't true. It couldn't be. Robb had just asked her to marry him. She shook her head, blinking the wetness away and looking up at Theon with bleary eyes. "The closest you'd get to a Stark lord husband would be Jon, but I suppose since he's taken the Black he won't be on the hunt for a cunt any time soon. I'm sure Catelyn would have loved for her biggest disgrace to be wedded off to some lesser bitch." Theon continued his verbal assault, coming closer and closer to Taisha's face as he did. "Then again, Jon did back down from his pursuit of you once Robb started to get jealous."

She stopped struggling for a split second. _Jon? That couldn't be right. He's my closest friend…_ Theon took her momentary lapse to grab her by the other wrist and pushed himself against her. "You know, if you should belong to anyone, it should be me. After all, we're both here as strangers to the Stark family."

"That's not true! I'm here because Ned wanted me to stay. You're here because they need to prove a point to your father!" Taisha shrieked, kicking Theon in the shin to push him away. "And I don't belong to anybody!"

"Then you won't mind if I take you, will you?" Theon whipped her around, sending Taisha falling to the forest floor. "You really need to stop roaming around the forest alone, little girl. There are plenty of dangers waiting for you..." She began to weep bitterly as Theon kept her face pushed into the dirt while kneeing her skirts up. She was not a weak girl, but Theon was pure muscle underneath his scrawny frame. She felt him hard against her buttocks. _Gods, help me._

Suddenly, she heard a vicious snarl and Theon yelping as he pushed himself up and off of her. Theon's screaming continued and she felt a thick fur curling itself around her. _Magpie?_ She slowly lifted her head and saw Grey Wind's soft yellow eyes looking back at her. She used the enormous beast to help herself stand up and she wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Magpie had bitten Theon severely in the arm and had him cornered against a tree. Grey Wind pressed himself against her thigh comfortingly and whined, touching her hand with his wet nose. Twisting her hand into his dense fur, Taisha adjusted her skirts and heard more crunching coming from the other direction

"Magpie, down." She heard a familiar voice shout and she whirled around, her heart practically leaping into her throat when she saw who was coming. Robb rushed through the undergrowth at Theon, who was still pinned up against the trunk of the tree with Taisha's dog snarling and advancing. "Down, I said." Magpie bared his teeth at Theon and took a few steps back as Robb pushed his way through the bushes before turning his attention back to his bewildered owner. She was a little impressed by Magpie's obedience but still shocked at the events unfolding before her. Taisha held on to the beasts to keep herself steady as Robb grabbed Theon with both hands by his shirtfront.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing, Greyjoy?" Theon sank lower against the tree, placing Robb above him.

"Just havin' a bit o' fun, _Stark_ ," Theon said, smirking. "Nobody got hurt… Except for me." He held his bleeding arm closer to his body, trying to push Robb off of him.

"Nobody got hurt? Then explain to me why Taisha is crying. Explain to me why the dog just tried to tear your arm off. Explain to me why you had thrown her to the ground and why your trousers are undone." With each question, Robb shook Theon a little harder. Taisha hadn't noticed that the tears had begun to roll down her dirty cheeks, but this time she was sure it was because Robb had come to her rescue. "Get the hell out of here, Greyjoy, and believe that my father will hear about this."

Theon scoffed but took his leave, stumbling through the roots and bushes towards the castle. Magpie let out a low growl and Robb turned to the dogs. "Follow him – at a distance, though." Grey Wind loped off while Magpie stayed by Taisha's side, fur bristling.

"You go too, lovely. You've done a fantastic job," Taisha said, giving him a small nudge. The smaller dog took off after Grey Wind and the two disappeared into the woods. She looked at her feet, hands tugging at her skirts as if she was still trying to cover herself up more. Robb turned to her and reached out to touch her shoulder and she shrank away, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Taish, are you alright?" Robb asked softly, holding out his arms to her. Taisha turned away from him and clutched at her sleeves. "Please tell me he didn't…"

"He didn't," she snapped. "But he could have. And where would I have been if you didn't show up?" She began walking towards the clearing where the old weirwood heart tree stood off in the distance. Her wrists hurt from the way Theon had grabbed her and her nose was still full of the stink of drunkenness seeping from his mouth. As she neared the pale tree, Robb snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. She froze as he touched her, but relaxed when he pressed his lips against her neck. "Are you really going to tell Ned?"

Robb breathed out slowly. "No."

"Why not?"

"If I tell my father, he will likely have me banish Theon from Winterfell. News will spread and eventually Rickard will find out and insist you are not safe here. And…" he paused. "I can't lose you." His voice cracked and Taisha felt her heart break. She turned around and embraced Robb, kissing him hard on the mouth. "While we're here," Robb said between kisses. "I'd like to ask you something." Taisha pulled back from him and looked from Robb to the heart tree. "Taisha Karstark, will you do me the honor of marrying me?" He knelt to the ground, holding her hand in his. "I don't have a ring yet, but I hope this will suffice until then." He wrapped her fingers around a chain with a pendant on it. Taisha opened her hand to see a metal wolf's head sitting neatly in her palm.

Her head was swimming. He had asked for her hand in marriage in sight of the Old Gods and Taisha knew that she could not put this off for much longer. What was she afraid of? "But your family? Your mother…" she mumbled as Robb stood up, taking the pendant from her and fastening it behind her neck.

"Don't worry about her. We don't have to tell them anything until we're ready. I just want to give you my word that we will be wed whether they like it or not." She touched the pendant hanging just above her breasts. "But you haven't given me an answer yet."

"Of course I'll marry you, Robb," she said without hesitation, and Robb spun her around, smiling through his kisses. "I love you, Robb."

"And I you."


End file.
